You are on page 1of 5

InverseFunctions

Whatisan InverseFunction?

Aninversefunctionisafunctionthatwillundoanythingthattheoriginalfunctiondoes.Forexample,we
allhaveawayoftyingourshoes,andhowwetieourshoescouldbecalledafunction.So,whatwouldbe
theinversefunctionoftyingourshoes?Theinversefunctionwouldbeuntyingourshoes,because
untyingourshoeswillundotheoriginalfunctionof tyingourshoes.

Letslookataninversefunctionfromamathematicalpointofview.Considerthefunctionf(x)=2x5.If
wetakeanyvalueofxandplugitintof(x)whatwouldhappentothatvalueofx?First, thevalueofxwould
getmultipliedby2andthenwewouldsubtract5. Thetwomathematicaloperationsthataretakingplacein
thefunctionf(x)aremultiplicationandsubtraction.Nowletsconsidertheinversefunction.Whattwo
mathematicaloperationswouldbeneededtoundof(x)? Divisionandaddition wouldbeneededtoundo
themultiplicationandsubtraction.Alittlefartherdownthepagewewillfindtheinverseoff(x)=2x 5,
andhopefullytheinversefunction will contain bothdivisionandaddition (seeexample5).

Notation

Iff(x)representsafunction,thenthenotation f -1(x), readfinverseofx,willbeusedtodenotethe


inverseoff(x).Similarly,thenotation g -1(x), readginverseofx,willbeusedtodenotetheinverseof
g(x).

1
Note: f -1(x) . Itisveryimportantnottoconfusefunctionnotationwithnegativeexponents.
f (x)

DoestheFunctionhavean Inverse?

Notallfunctionshaveaninverse,soitisimportanttodeterminewhetherornotafunctionhasaninverse
beforewetryandfindtheinverse.Ifafunctiondoesnothaveaninverse,then weneedtorealizethe
function doesnothaveaninversesowedonotwastetimetryingtofindsomethingthatdoesnotexist.

Sohowdoweknowifafunctionhasaninverse? Todetermineifafunctionhasaninversefunction,we
needtotalkaboutaspecialtypeoffunctioncalledaOnetoOneFunction.A onetoonefunctionisa
functionwhereeachinput(xvalue)hasauniqueoutput(yvalue).Toputitanotherway,everytimewe
pluginavalueofx wewillgetauniquevalueofy, thesameyvaluewillneverappearmorethanonce.A
onetoonefunctionisspecialbecauseonly onetoonefunctionshaveaninversefunction.

Note:OnlyOnetoOneFunctionshaveaninversefunction.

ExamplesNowletslookatafewexamplestohelpdemonstratewhata onetoonefunctionis.

Example1:Determineif thefunctionf={(7,3),(8,5),(2,11),(6,4)}isaonetoonefunction.

Thefunctionfisaonetoonefunction becauseeachoftheyvaluesintheorderedpairsisunique noneof


theyvaluesappearmorethanonce.Sincethefunctionfisaonetoonefunction, thefunctionf musthave
aninverse.
Example2:Determineifthefunctionh={(3,8),(11, 9),(5,4),(6,9)}isaonetoonefunction.

Thefunction hisnota onetoonefunctionbecausetheyvalueof 9isnotuniquetheyvalueof 9


appearsmorethanonce.Sincethefunctionhisnota onetoonefunction,thefunction hdoesnothavean
inverse.

Rememberthatonly onetoonefunctionhaveaninverse.

IstheFunctionaOnetoOneFunction?

Wecandetermineiffunctionsareonetoonebylookingatorderedpairsanddeterminingifeachofthey
valuesisunique,butwhatifwedonothaveorderedpairs?Wecouldcreateorderedpairsbyplugging
differentxvaluesintothefunctionandfindingthecorrespondingyvaluesgivingussomeorderedpairs.
Ratherthanspendingtimecreatingorderedpairs,whynotconsiderlookingattheentiregraphofthe
functioninstead?Bylookingattheentiregraphratherthanafewpoints,weshouldstill beabletodetermine
ifthefunctionisaonetoonefunction ornot.

Inlookingatthegraphofthefunctionwecandetermineifafunctionisaonetoonefunction ornot by
applyingtheHorizontal LineTest, orHLT. IfthegraphofthefunctionpassestheHorizontalLineTest,then
thefunctionisaonetoonefunction.IfthegraphofthefunctionfailstheHorizontalLineTest,thenthe
functionisnotaonetoonefunction.

HorizontalLineTestTheHLTsaysthatafunctionisaonetoonefunctionifthereisnohorizontal
linethatintersectsthegraphofthefunctionatmorethanonepoint.

ByapplyingtheHorizontalLineTestnotonlycanwedetermineifafunctionisaonetoonefunction,but
moreimportantlywecandetermineifafunctionhasaninverseornot.

ExamplesNowletslookatafewexamplestohelpexplaintheHorizontal LineTest.

3
Example3:Determineif thefunctionf(x)= - x +2 isaonetoonefunction.
4

Todetermineiff(x)isaonetoonefunction,weneedtolookatthegraphoff(x).Sincef(x)isalinear
equationthegraphoff(x)isalinewithaslopeof 3/4andayinterceptof(0,2).

Inlookingatthegraph,youcanseethatanyhorizontalline(shownin
red)drawn onthegraphwill intersectthegraphoff(x)only once.

Therefore,f(x)isaonetoonefunction andf(x)musthaveaninverse.
Example4:Determineifthefunctiong(x)=x3 4xisaonetoonefunction.

Todetermineifg(x)isaonetoonefunction,weneedtolookatthegraphofg(x).

Inlookingatthegraph,youcanseethatthehorizontalline(shownin
red)drawnonthegraphintersectsthegraphofg(x)morethanonce.

Therefore,g(x)isnotaonetoonefunction andg(x)doesnothavean
inverse.

HowtoFindtheInverseFunction

Nowthatwehavediscussedwhataninversefunctionis,thenotationusedtorepresentinversefunctions,
onetoonefunctions,andtheHorizontal LineTest,wearereadytotryandfindaninversefunction.

Herearethestepsrequiredtofindtheinversefunction:

Step1: Determineifthefunctionhasaninverse.Isthefunctionaonetoonefunction?Ifthe
functionisaonetoonefunction,gotostep2.Ifthefunctionisnotaonetoonefunction,
thensaythatthefunctiondoesnothaveaninverseandstop.

Step2: Changef(x)toy.

Step3: Switchxandy.

Step4: Solvefory.

Step5: Changeybackto f-1 (x).

Byfollowingthese5stepswecanfindtheinversefunction.Makesurethatyoufollowall5steps.Many
peoplewillskipstep1andjustassumethatthefunctionhasaninversehowever,noteveryfunctionhasan
inverse,becausenoteveryfunctionisaonetoonefunction.OnlyfunctionsthatpasstheHorizontalLine
Testareonetoonefunctionsandonlyonetoonefunctionshaveaninverse.
ExamplesNowletsusethestepsshownabovetoworkthroughsomeexamplesoffindinginversefunctions.

Example5:If f(x)=2x 5,findtheinverse.

Thisfunction passestheHorizontalLineTestwhichmeansit
isaonetoonefunction thathasaninverse.

y=2x 5 Changef(x)toy.

x=2y 5 Switchxandy.

x + 5 = 2y Solvefory byadding5toeachsideandthendividingeach
sideby 2.
x + 5
=y
2

x+5 1 5 Changeybacktof1(x).
f -1(x) = = x+
2 2 2

x + 5 1 5
Therefore, f -1(x)= or f -1(x) = x + .
2 2 2

Example6:Iff(x)=x2 +4,find f-1 (x).

Thisfunction doesnotpass theHorizontalLineTestwhich


meansitisnotaonetoonefunction.

f-1 (x)doesnotexist f(x)isnotaonetoone,sof(x)=x2 +4doesnothavean


inverse.

Therefore, f -1(x)doesnotexist.
Example7:Iff(x)=(x 2)3,findtheinverse.

Thisfunction passestheHorizontalLineTestwhichmeansit
isaonetoonefunction thathasaninverse.

y=(x 2)3 Changef(x)toy.

x=(y 2)3 Switchxandy.

Solvefory by takingthecuberootofeachsideandthen
3
x = 3 (y - 2)3
adding2toeachside.
3
x = y - 2
Changeybacktof1(x).
3
x + 2 = y

Therefore, f -1(x) = 3 x +2.

AdditionExamples

Ifyouwouldliketoseemoreexamplesoffindinginversefunctions,justclickonthelinkbelow.

AdditionalExamples

PracticeProblems

Nowitisyourturntotryafewpracticeproblemsonyourown.Workoneachoftheproblemsbelowand
thenclickonthelinkattheendtocheckyouranswers.
4x - 3
Problem1:Iff(x)= , findf-1 (x).
2x +1
5 3
Problem2:Iff(x)= x - ,findf-1 (x).
6 4
Problem3:Iff(x)=(x+2)2 1,find f-1 (x).

Problem4:Iff(x)=3x+11,find f-1 (x).

Problem5:Iff(x)=5 x + 2 -3, findf-1 (x).

2x - 5
Problem6:Iff(x)= ,findf-1 (x).
3
SolutionstoPracticeProblems

You might also like